Fourdrinier machine.



C. E. POPE.

FOURDRINIER MACHINE.

APPLICATION man APR. 21. 1915.

Patented Feb. 26, 1918.

LQWWFWK w a a; 11x 1a, POPE, on'noLron-n, massacnusn'rrs, assrenon '10 cnnar non'rrrn nn" rarnn COMPANY,-01F MILLINOCKET, MAINE, a

CORPORATION.

TO'URTDBINIER MACHINE.

To all ev hom it may concern:

Be it known that l, CHARLES E. Porn, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Improvement in Fourdrinier Machines, of

which the following is a specification.

Tn Fourdrinier machines much dificulty is encountered in carrying the end-portion of the web from the paper-making wire across the intervening space to the first felt in case of a break in the web,'and this dificulty is greatly increased in high speed machines, and when a machine is constructed with a running speed of, say 1,000 ft. per minute, it is almost impossible to carry over the endportion by any of the well-known-means or methods. The loss of production involved in each minutes delay at such speed is serious. v

This invention has for its object the provision of automatic means arranged to detach the end-portions of a web from the wire, and conveyit across the intervening space to the felt, whichis applicable to and purposely designed for use in connection with very high speed machines, and an improved drive to enable the machines to run at high speed with much less strain on the web at the point of taking ofi' from the wire than with driving means now used.

In accordance with this invention an endroll is arranged in front of the usual lower couch-roll and supported at a lower elevation, and the paper-makin wire passes from the couch-roll over said en -roll. That portion of the wire between said rolls is arranged at a downward, forward inclination, and the lower end-portion of said inclined portion of the wire is supported by the endroll close to the felt, so that the intervening space therebeteween is short, and pneumatic means are arranged in rear of said inclined portion arranged to forcibly deliver air in the form of a jet or sheet against the wire, which acts to detach the end-portion of the web therefrom, and conve it across the in tervening space to the elt. This downward and forward arrangement is the most convenient for fast running machines, but other arrangements of the end-roll may readily be imagined which will accomplish the result of placing the portion of the wire Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented lF'elh. an, acre Application filed April 27, 1915. Serial Ito. 524L318.

from which the web is removed in juxtaposltion to the felt which is to receive it, which is appropriate to mydnvention.

In carrying out my invention, however, a serlous difliculty arises. While the speed of the machine and particularly the running speed of the wire is/intended to be constant, yet in practice "it is more or less variable. When the web is taken from the wire at the couch-roll, as usual, said couch-roll presents a fixed point from which the web is withdrawn, and the distance between said couchroll and belt is predetermined and constant regardless of variations in the running'speed of the wire, but when the web is withdrawn from the wire, at anintermediate point, not

- directly associated with the couch-roll, the

variations in the running speed of the wire cause deflections in that portion of the wire between its points of support, which result in corresponding variations in the length of the intervening space, and as a result the web passing across said intervening space is subjected to unusual strains accordlng as the space is lengthened or shortened, which causes frequent breaks in the web. For this and other reasons it is an essential object of my invention to provide means whereby the unsupported portion of the wire from which the web is withdrawn is held taut, or. at all times is caused to maintain substantially its same inclination, angle, or position, with respect to the felt, so that the length of the intervening space is maintained substantially constant at all times regardless of speed variations and other disturbing causes.

Figure 1, is a conventional view of a portion of the Fourdrinier machine in said elepasses, said roll being herein termed the end-roll. Said end-roll 20, is arranged top periphery of the first felt-roll, and the w1re extends from the top periphery of the lower couch-roll 13, in a downwardly and forwardly direction to the top periphery of said roll 20. Such portion of the wire is straight and is substantially tangential to the rolls 13 and 20.

The web is designed to be taken or drawn from said downwardly and forwardly inclined portion of the wire at an intermediate point, generally at a point quite near the end-roll 20, and to be carried across the intervening space to the first felt. In order that the web may be drawn or carried from said downwardly and forwardly inclined portion to the felt, said portionmust be maintained at a constant inclination. \Vhile the degree of inclination may be varied considerably. yet the inclination having been determined, it must be maintained continuous during the running of a machine, so that the length of the intervening space between the point of detachment of the web from the wire and the point of engagement of the web with the felt will be maintained constant.

Variations in the speed of a wire and other causes will cause temporary deflections in said inclined portion of the wire, and will result in producing varying strains on the web and cause a break. To obviate this difficulty, the end-roll 20 is herein positively driven in the direction of movement of the wire, with its peripheral speed slightly greater than the speed of thewire, at least sufficiently so to compensate for all ordinary variations inthe running speed of the wire. Such movement of the end-roll 20 willcause said roll to slip beneath the wire slightly more or less, but this is immaterial as long as the portion of the wire between said rolls l3 and 20 is maintained taut at all times, which results in maintaining its predetermined inclination, and also in maintaining a predetermined length of the intervening space.

As a means for positively driving the endroll 20, said roll may be provided with a sprocket-wheel or pulley 30, over which passes a sprocket-chain or belt 31, and a sprocket-wheel or belt 32, may be arranged on the shaft of the couch-roll 13. The periphery of the wheel30 is enough less than that of the wheel 32 to drive the periphery of the roll "20 at a slightly greater speed than that ofthe roll 13 to place a driving strain on the wire in contact with the roll 20, over which said chain or belt passes. My invention is not limited to such means for positively driving said end-roll 20, provided the periphery of the end-roll runs slightly faster than that of the couch-rolls. In very fast running machines, say machines running at bility of breaking than is now usual with the slower running machine, when the web is taken from the couch-roll and permitted or caused to pass onto the belt. However, the greatest advantage gained by the use of this portion of the wire in front of the couchroll is the fact that means may be associated with or arranged in connection with such inclined portion of the wire by which an end-portion of the web may be detached from the wire and carried across the intervening pace to the felt, in case of a break. As, for instance, pneumatic means may be arranged beneath or in rear of said inclined portion of the wire, for directing a blast or blasts of air toward and against the wire, which act to detach the end-portion of the web therefrom and carry it across the intervening space. Said pneumatic means may consist of a nozzle 40, having one or more small orifices or slits for the delivery of a blast or blasts of air in the form ofa jet or numerous jets which merge together into a thin sheet, or it may be a thin sheet, said nozzle being connected with a pipe 41, which is connected with a source of air, under pressure, not here shown. Said pipe has a shutoff valve 42, and preferably a regulating valve 43. This nozzle may be arranged to deliver a blast or blasts of air co-extensive with the width of the slitted end-portion of the web, or wider if desired. In this manner a slow and substantially untrained workman can carry over the end at the high speeds referred to, whereas now only great dextefiity and training makes the transfer poss1 c.

This invention is not limited to constructions in which the paper is taken across from the wire to the press roll= felts unsupported. It is available in constructions in which the upper press roll felt passes between the couch-rolls and supports the paper as it leaves the wire, for instance, as set out in my co-pending application, Serial No. 786,461 and No. 786,462, filed August 25, 1913. In such a case, the use of the air blast here shown may be unnecessary, but that portion of my invention which relates to the driving mechanism will be advantageous.

I claim:

1. In a Fourdrinier machine, the combination with the felt-roll, the paper-making wire, and the couch-roll, of an end-roll arranged adjacent the couch-roll and felt-roll over which the wire passes after passing over the couch-roll, a blower orifice beneath the papermaking wire, between the couch rolls and the end roll, arranged to blow the paper meme"? sheet from the wire at a point after the it to the press roll felts,

paper sheet has left the couch roll and before it has-reached the end rolland carry and driving-means independent of the wire for said end-roll adapted to maintain that portion of the wire between said couch-roll and end-roll taut and at a predetermined inclination.

2. In a Fourdrinier machine, the combination with the felt-roll, a paper-making wire, and a couch-roll, of an end-roll arranged in front of the couch roll and at a lower elevation over which the wire passes, a blower orifice beneath the papermaking wire, between the couch roll and the end roll, arranged to blow the paper sheet from the wire at a point after the paper sheet has left the couch roll and before it has reached the end roll and carry it to the press roll felts, that portion of the wire between said couch-roll and end-roll being downwardly and forwardly inclined, driving means for the couch roll and a chain and sprocket mechanism for driving the end-roll from the couch roll shaft at a speed which will maintain saidinclinedl portion of the wire taut, and at a uniform inclination.

3. A Fourdrinier paper-making machine,

having in combination with the movable paper-making wire and the couch-rolls between which thewire passes, an end-roll beyond the couch-rolls over which the Wire passes, a blower-orifice beneath the papermaking wire adapted to blow the paper sheet from the wire at a point after the paper sheet has left the couch-roll and before it has reached the end-roll and carry it to the press-roll felt, the press-roll felt, driving-means for driving a couch-roll and connections with said couch driving-means for driving the end-roll, at a peripheral speed slightly in excess of the peripheral speed of said couch-roll.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES E. POPE.

Witnesses:

GUY CUNNINGHAM, II. B. Davis. 

